Ainhoa Rodriguez-Muguruza
With Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn (yes, indeed!) boosting the reach video content gets in their network, it comes with no surprise that marketers around the globe are prioritising video-based marketing in their strategy.
Is this shift towards video content applicable to building product manufacturers? It is, it absolutely is! In this post, I will go over the different types of video marketing strategies you should try in 2022 to make the most of your marketing efforts.
Stepping up your marketing game, however, can be quite daunting! Often, the idea of producing video content is disregarded by building product manufacturers, thinking it will be too complex. And, it can be! In fact, the most complex part of video production is not the filming itself, but the preparation. Just like Simon Sinek, we recommend you focus on the Why, the How, and the What when planning a video.
Considering these three aspects of your video, you will be able to establish a more defined plan and, consequently, set yourself to a better result. Depending on your goals (the Why), the channel (the How), and the content (the What), you can choose to produce different types of videos. Here a 16 types of videos, grouped in 4 video marketing categories, that your building product company should try.
Educational Videos
The easiness of video images makes this tool a fantastic channel to educate your audience and make sure they understand your building products in the most streamlined way.
No one likes a boring lecture, so when thinking about providing your audience with information about your construction solutions, it is important you transmit it in a clear, concise, and, most importantly, engaging way.
Take our educational video on Customer Experience for example. Simplify complex subjects into easily consumable content.
Explainer Videos
Videos that aim to give a general explanation are a good place to start when first producing educational content about your construction solutions. These videos have an overall goal to communicate basic information about a product or service your company offers and, whilst it can give an overview of the features, components, etc., they are meant to be introductory, free of industry jargon, and, most importantly, short! Think about it like a 101 to your product!
How-To Videos
If explaining how your construction solution works is the primary goal of your video, you should focus on producing a How-To video. How-To videos should be anything but general. Through How-To videos, you can allow architects and specifiers to get a clear picture of how your product works, how it is installed, and how it should be kept enhancing its performance and guaranteeing its durability. Focus on one product or range and make sure you go into detail about each of them.
Webinar Videos
If your goal is to discuss lengthier topics, without it necessarily being an explanation, but more of a conversation with your audience, you can plan a pre-recorded webinar. Webinars are designed to be carefully planned, with a thorough email and social marketing campaign supporting its outreach. The industry recommends webinars to last a maximum on 45 minutes and to always refer to a FAQ page for anyone watching the video to go to if they have questions.
Here is an example of a webinar video we made!
Company Culture Videos
Educating is not the only purpose for which you can use video content. Video has become particularly popular for getting closer to your audience and allowing them to know your building product business a little bit better. The idea is to show the human behind the curtain, the people that make your brand possible. If your team is up for being in front of the camera, you might be interested in some of the videos below.
Company Story Videos
A safe bet, if you are looking at showing a little bit more of your company culture, is to simply produce a video about the story of your company. For this, follow the pattern we mentioned at the top of our blog post! First, think about the Why; then, go into the How; lastly, speak about the What. You will be able to show the development and evolution of your building product business, explaining how you went from the initial idea to building your company.
Here's an example of our About video
Event Videos
Another video option that feels informal, natural, and fun, are videos about tradeshows, exhibitions, or events. If you and your team are attending any events in the near future, try to get some footage of it and put it together. Event videos do not necessarily need to be about your products, but about your team working together, and networking with other peers of the industry. You could even carry out small interviews or do a video review of the event itself.
Branded Videos
Now, if natural does not necessarily represent your brand, you can always go for a branded video if you want to do something more traditional. These videos are the popular spot or advertisement-type videos where you put forward your value proposition. Unlike Story Videos, they tend to be quite short, so make sure your value proposition is clear when planning producing a branded video. And, of course, do not forget to get your logo in there!
Product Videos
Video is, without doubt, a key tool when showcasing your products. Producing video content on your products should not make you forget about BIM drawings, datasheets, or other technical documents that architects and specifiers will still need to consider your building products for their projects. However, adding footage of your construction solutions can help you send a clearer message to your audience.
Commercial Videos
Video ads are a go-to for most marketers, particularly for new releases! It is a direct and quick way of getting your audience to see the latest addition to your product range. Commercial videos are those with a clearer marketing purpose since their main goal is to get your product out. These videos do not include technical details or How-To guides. The footage will try and show the product from as many angles as possible, making sure your audience gets a 360-degree view.
Teaser Videos
Slightly shorter than commercial videos, prior to the launch of a product, you can decide to produce a teaser! Teaser videos are meant to be used to spark the curiosity within your audience about a particular release. Make sure that you do it before launch, but not too far in advance, otherwise you risk people forgetting about it. You can repurpose footer from the commercial video into the teaser, showing just a little bit, but not too much!
Q&A Videos
If your building product is rather complex, you might want to devote a longer video to it. For this, you can produce a Q&A-style video together with the designed, the engineer, or with an architect, answering FAQs about the manufacturing of your product, how it works, how it is installed, and the different features that it includes. You can produce a long video answering all these questions, or several bite-sized videos so your audience can consume them more easily.
Testimonial Videos
In your video marketing strategy, you should not forget about your customers, the audience that has already trusted you and purchased your building products. You can make them feel appreciated and allow them to have a voice within your brand by including them in your videos. This does not need to involve the customer directly but rather their case study. There are different ways in which you can do that.
Check out this video from Specwall following a CPD we delivered for them!
Case Studies Videos
You can focus on the different ways in which a particular building product satisfied different briefs and resulted in happy customers by producing a video case study. These videos often involve on-site footage, showing not only the finished product but also the installation. With that in mind, it is important that you recognise whether a project is a good candidate for a case study and that you plan accordingly so you can get some footage of the process.
Interview Videos
The most popular type of video featuring your customer is, of course, the traditional interview. Interviews decreased their popularity a decade ago, but they are making their way back into marketing strategies due to podcasts becoming more and more popular. Indeed, whilst podcasts are audio-based, most podcast producers also film their episodes so their audience can consume the episode in video format if that is what they prefer.
Review Videos
If your customers are particularly proactive, you can ask them to, simply, record themselves reviewing your building product. It sounds easy, but it is incredibly effective. Without a script, without questions, allow your customers to say whatever they want to say about your products. Your audience will thank their naturality and their honesty, as well as yours. They will get a first-hand review of your building solution and feel more confident about your product.
Conclusion
However you look at it, video is a powerful tool when engaging with your audience. Whether that be architects, specifiers or the end-user, your customers want to ensure that your building product is the perfect solution for their needs. Video that helps your audience's customer experience can help showcase your products while also building trust, enabling you to position your product as that perfect solution.
About Insynth
At Insynth we deliver a predictable flow of leads, customers, and specifications for building product brands through our inbound marketing approach, proven to reach a technically demanding audience.
We use the latest marketing techniques such as construction inbound marketing, to equip building product companies to grow sustainability in this era of digital transformation.
As the only HubSpot certified agency to major in construction marketing. We have a proven formula of bringing a variety of functionalities together including CRM Implementation, Web Design, Sales Automation, SEO, and Email Marketing to achieve your ultimate aim: Growing your business and gaining new specifiers and customers.
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